5 Must-have Productivity Apps

The great thing about mobile devices is that they allow us to get so much done anytime, anywhere. At least that’s what they’re supposed to do. But let’s face it, sometimes we just feel like wasting time on games and social media—and that’s totally fine. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t hurt to set our smartphones and tablets for maximum productivity so when we do decide to get some actual work done, we can be awesome at it.

So, without further ado, here are five productivity apps every mobile device should have!

1. Google Keep

You all know how I like to keep a to-do list, especially on days when there’s just so much to do. Well, Google Keep is an excellent tool for this purpose. It does away with all the bells and whistles similar apps have and focuses on what is truly important: keeping note of everything that matters to you.

But don’t let its simplicity fool you. Behind Google Keep’s minimalist exterior is a host of extremely useful features like reminders, checklists, photo attachments and multi-device syncing. The list doesn’t stop there, however. Too lazy to type? Just dictate your note and the app will jot it down for you.

But the best thing about it is that it’s available on both Android and iOS, so there’s no need to give up your loyalty to either brand or make do with an alternative app.

2. IFTTT

Automation, without a doubt, is one of the best ways to boost productivity—and this is exactly what IFTTT has to offer! It allows you to automatically trigger certain tasks using what the app calls “recipes”. Recipes, according to the IFTTT website, refer to the connection between any two products and apps and are divided into two categories: if and do.

If recipes allow you to automate tasks using simple “if-then” statements like “if I receive an email notification about a new Twitter follower, then send them a ‘thank you’ tweet.” The possibilities are endless! All it takes is a little creativity.

Do recipes, on the other hand, allow you to, well, do complex tasks with a single tap of an icon. Notify a loved one that you’re on your way home, trigger a fake phone call to yourself to get out of awkward social situations, post a map of your current location on Tumblr—do recipes are designed to make everything you do easier!

And just like Google Keep, IFTTT is also available on both Android and iOS.

3. Pocket

The internet is filled with all sorts of neat things to distract yourself with, and that makes it much harder to get any work done. The solution? Use your Pocket! This app allows you to save interesting links, videos and articles for later viewing so you can focus on what needs to be done right now. And the best thing about it is that everything you save will be available to you offline!
Get it on your Android or iOS device today!

4. Microsoft Office Mobile

Of course, no productivity list will be complete without a tool to get work done with. Word processing, spreadsheets, presentations—we all know what Microsoft Office is all about. Just take all of that and squeeze it into your mobile device and you’ve got Microsoft Office Mobile.

Non-commercial users can download the app on their Android or iOS device for free.

5. Asana

If you’ve ever tried to manage a project via email, then you know how messy things can get. Just imagine sifting through countless email threads to keep track of what’s happening. Well, you can forget about all that with Asana. It puts everything about your project—tasks, deadlines, ideas, requests and a whole lot more—in one easy-to-manage place.

You can start using it on your Android or iOS device for a project with a maximum of 15 collaborators free of charge. Have some other cool productivity apps to share? Post them in the comments!